What is a WISE Congregation?

What is a WISE Congregation?

WISE (Welcoming, Inclusive, Supportive, and Engaged) is a designation for congregations who are committed to being sensitive to the challenges faced by the millions of Americans with brain disorders or mental illnesses.  

The goal of obtaining the WISE designation is to openly communicate that we offer support, acceptance, and respect to each person, and to provide information and education that helps reduce the stigma around mental illness.

The scope of this initiative includes, but is not limited to, anxiety, depression, eating disorders, suicide, OCD, PTSD, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, ADHD, autism, Alzheimer’s Disease, dementia, grief, Tourette Syndrome, substance abuse and other addictions, etc.  We care about both those who may be suffering from these disorders and their caregivers.

WISE congregations DO

• offer support, acceptance, and respect to each person
• Create a safe environment for people to share their challenges and seek support
• Provide information & education
• Serve as advocates in our church and community at large to reduce the stigma surrounding mental illness and brain disorders

WISE congregations DO NOT

• Provide treatment or other recommendations that should be appropriately addressed by a trained professional
• Ask anyone to participate or share anything that they do not want to
• Assume that participation in any event implies anything other an interest in mental health
• Share anything outside a gathering without explicit permission (with exception of immediate danger to self or others, in which case an appropriate mental health professional or emergency service will be contacted)

To learn more about the WISE journey at Webster UCC, contact the WISE team (UCCWISE@gmail.com) or the church office at 585-671-3757.